Engine with radially reciprocal rotor mounted pistons

ABSTRACT

A rotor cavity is defined by a housing and the cavity includes a generally cylindrical chamber interrupted by a pair of ramp surfaces lying generally along chords of the cavity disposed normal to radii of the cavity displaced approximately 90* apart. A rotor is journaled in the cavity and includes a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced generally radial piston receiving cylinder bores and a piston is reciprocally mounted in each cylinder bore and includes an outer end roller rollingly engaged with the wall surfaces of the cavity including the aforementioned ramp surfaces. Opposite sides of the rotor are provided with inlet and outlet ports opening into the inner ends of the cylinders or piston bores and the cavity is closed by opposite end walls between which the rotor is received and the end walls are provided with inlet and outlet openings with which the intake and exhaust ports formed in the rotor are sequentially registrable.

United States Patent [1 1 Burns [4 1 Oct. 15,1974

[ ENGINE WITH RADIALLY RECIPROCAL ROTOR MOUNTED PISTONS [22] Filed: July 20, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 273,629

[52] US. Cl. 123/43 C, 123/44 D, 123/44 E [51 1 Int. Cl. F02b 57/04 [58] Field of Search 123/43 C, 44 D, 44 E; 92/54; 417/461, 462, 463; 91/176, 197, 472

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,456,479 5/1923 Atkinson 123/43 C 1,990,660 2/1935 McCann 123/43 C 3,161,183 12/1964 Leath 123/43 C 3,438,358 4/1969 Porsch 123/43 C FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 577,386 5/1933 Germany 123/43 C 733,534 3/1943 Germany 123/43 C Primary Examiner-Clarence R. Gordon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence A. OBrien; Harvey B. Jacobson 5 7 ABSTRACT A rotor cavity is defined by a housing and the cavity includes a generally cylindrical chamber interrupted by a pair of ramp surfaces lying generally along chords of the cavity disposed normal to radii of the cavity displaced approximately 90 apart. A rotor is journaled in the cavity and includes a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced generally radial piston receiving cylinder bores and a piston is reciprocally mounted in each cylinder bore and includes an outer end roller rollingly engaged with the wall surfaces of the cavity including the aforementioned ramp surfaces. Opposite sides of the rotor are provided with inlet and outlet ports opening into the inner ends of the cylinders or piston bores and the cavity is closed by opposite end walls between which the rotor is received and the end walls are provided with inlet and outlet openings with which the intake and exhaust ports formed in the rotor are sequentially registrable.

9 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures ENGINE WITH RADIALLY RECIPROCAL ROTOR MOUNTED PISTONS The rotary engine of the instant invention has been designed to provide an engine which will combine the advantages of rotary and reciprocating piston engines and which includes but a small number of parts and does not require elaborate intake and exhaust valving systems or ignition timing systems. In addition, the rotary engine of the instant invention has been designed to provide a power source of extremely compact design for the amount of power produced and therefore an engine which may be readily utilized in various environments including vehicular power with the minimum weightand volume of the engine enabling various types of combustion engine emission controls to be incorporated therein without exceeding excessive weight and volume limitations.

The main object of this invention is to provide a compact and lightweight combustion engine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combustion engine which will be capable of developing high amounts of power per unit of weight and which will function to produce comparable amounts of torque at reasonably low engine speeds.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an engine which will require a minimum of operating support accessories and which may be readily cooled both externally and internally.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combustion engine which will combine the desirable operating characteristics of both rotary and reciprocating piston combustion engines.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an engine which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and dependable in operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and trouble free.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combustion engine of the instant invention as seen from the front side thereof;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the major components of the engine with three of the four piston and cylinder assemblies thereof omitted;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the combustion engine illustrated on somewhat of an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the engine;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through the center of the engine;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in which each side of the engine rotor has its port seals lubricated;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the cylinder and piston assemblies of the engine and the adjacent casing and rotor portions;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating one of the exhaust ports or passages of the rotor and the manner in which it further functions as communication between the associated cylinder and a spark plug of the engine; and

FIGS. 10 through 13 are schematic views illustrating the relative positions of the rotor, rotor cavity wall portions and one of the pistons in four different positions of rotation of the main shaft of the engine.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the engine of themstant invention which includes a center casing 12 having a central cavity 14 formed therethrough. The engine 10 further includes front and rear end plates 16 and 18 which are secured to opposite sides of the easing 12 by means of through bolts secured through the end plates 16 and 18 as well as the casing 12. The end plates 16 and 18 close the opposite ends of the cavity 14 and the latter is generally cylindrical in configuration, except for a pair of ramp or cam surfaces 20 and 22 which extend generally along chords of the chamber 14 perpendicular to radii of the center of the cavity angularly displaced 90 apart. The through fasteners 24 utilized to clamp the end plates 16 and 18 to the front and rear sides of the casing 12 pass through suitable bores 26 formed in the front end plate 16, bores 28 formed in the rear end plate 18 and bores 30 formed in the casing 12.

The end plates 16 andy18 have central bores 32 and 34 formed therethrough in which aligned hearing assemblies 36 and 38, respectively, are received. The bearing assemblies rotatably journal opposite end portions of a main shaft 40 extending through the casing 12 and a cylindrical rotor 42 is mounted on the shaft 40 and keyed thereto by means of a key 44 for rotation therewith.

The front end plate 16 includes an arcuate intake slot 44 and an arcuate initial exhaust slot 46 formed therethrough as well as an oil passage 48. In addition, the rear end plate 18 includes a final exhaust slot 50 formed therethrough as well as a spark plug aperture 52 and an oil port 54 corresponding to the oil port 48. The inner surfaces of the end plates 16 and 18 include shallow grooves 56 which extend generally radially of the bores 34 and 32 away from the corresponding oil ports 48 and 54.

The rotor 42 includes four circumferentially spaced and generally radially outwardly opening sleeve bores 60 having cylinder sleeves 62 bottomed therein. In addition, the rotor 42 includes an equal number of generally radial guide bores '64 adjacent the sleeve bores 60 and the outer ends of the adjacent portions of each pair of bores 60 and 64 are communicated by means of a slot 66 formed in the rotor 42.

A piston 68 including axially spaced piston rings 70 seated in grooves 72 is reciprocal in each cylinder sleeve 62 and the outer end of each piston 68 is slotted as at 74 and includes a cam roller 76 joumaled on a pin 78 and sleeve 80 disposed in each slot. The pin 78 of each piston 68 extends between the furcations defined on opposite sides of the slot 74 and each sleeve 80 extends through the corresponding roller 76 and is journaled on the associated pin. 1

The outer end of each piston 68 further includes a circumferential groove 82 into whose diametrically opposite portions the opposite ends of the corresponding pin 78 projects. In addition, each piston 68 has a forked yoke 84 secured thereto by means of fasteners 86 and including notched free ends 88 for embracingly engaging the opposite ends of the corresponding pin 78. Each yoke 84 includes a tongue portion 90 through which one end of a guide :pin 92 is secured and each guide pin 92 is received in the corresponding bore 64 and has a compression spring 94 disposed thereabout within the corresponding bore 64. Thus, the springs 94 yieldingly bias the pistons 68 outwardly in the corresponding cylinder sleeves 62 so that the roller 76 carried by the outer end of each piston 68 will be rollingly engaged with the opposing wall surface portions of the cavity 14, which opposing wall surfaces include the ramp or cam surfaces 20 and 22.

The front side of the rotor 42 includes a combined inlet and initial exhaust port 96 for each cylinder and each exhaust port 96 is formed through the rotor 42 and registered with a corresponding port 98 formed in the corresponding cylinder sleeve 62. In addition, the rear side of the rotor 42 has four inclined exhaust ports 100 formed therethrough and each cylinder sleeve 62 has a port 102 registered with the inner end of the corresponding port 100. The outer end of each exhaust port 100 is registrable with the final exhaust slot 50 and the spark plug aperture 52. Further, the outer ends of the ports 96 are registrable with the inlet and exhaust slots 44 and 46. Further, the outer end of each port 96 is surrounded by a seal 104 recessed in the corresponding end face of the rotor 42 and the outer end of each passage 100 is surrounded by a similar seal 106 recessed in the rear end face of the rotor 42.

The end plates 16 and 18 have the outlet ends of oil pressure lines 108 secured in the outer end portions of the oil ports 54 and the inner end portions of the oil ports 54have wicks 1 l seated therein. Also, the opposite ends of the rotor 42 have circumferential oil seal grooves 112 formed therein and each oil seal groove has an annular oil seal 114 seated therein, The annular oil seals 114 project radially outwardly of the opposite ends of the rotor 42 and are inclined in the direction of the corresponding ends of the rotor 42 so as to engage the opposing inner surfaces of the end plates 16 and 18.

The spark plug aperture 52 has a spark plug 116 threadedly engaged therein and it is to be understood that the spark plug 116 may have a vibrator coil electrically connected thereto whereby the plug 1 16 will be constantly firing in rapid sequence. Of course, a specifically timed ignition system could be provided to actuate the spark plug 116 each time an exhaust port 100 is registered therewith. Further, suitable exhaust manifolding (not shown) may be provided and secured to the end plates 16 and 18 about the exhaust ports 46 and 50. Also, suitable intake manifolding (not shown) may be provided and secured to the end plate 16 about the intake port 44. Any suitable charge forming apparatus may be operatively associated with the intake manifolding so as to supply the intake port 44 with a combustible mixture of fuel and air.

The casing 12 is provided with an offset oil filler hole 118 and a closure plug 120 closes the outer end of the hole 118. The lower portion of the cavity 14 may have a quantity of lubricating oil disposed therein between the seals 114 and the pistons 68 and rollers 76 will thereby be lubricated each time they swing through the lower peripheral portions of the cavity 114. Also, the end plates 16 and 18, the casing 12 and the rotor 42,

via the shaft 40, may be provided with internal passages for flowing cooling liquids through the end plates 16 and 18, the casing 12 and the rotor 42.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIGS. 10 through 13 it may be seen that the ramp or cam surfaces 20 and 22 include shallow reverse curves and with the understanding that the rotor 42 rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 10 through 13, the single piston 68 illustrated in FIG. 10 is at the beginning of the intake stroke with the corresponding port 96 initially registered with the intake slot 44. Thus, a combustible mixture of air and fuel may be taken into the cylinder sleeve 62 through the ports 96 and 98 until the rotor 42 closely approaches the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 11 at which point the port 96 has been moved out of registry with the slot 44. Then, as the rotor 42 is angularly advanced to a position closely approaching the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 12, the piston 68 is forced inwardly of the cylinder sleeve 62 to compress the combustible mixture of air and fuel. Thereafter, as the rotor reaches the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 12, the port is registered with the aperture 52 and thus the combustible mixture within the inner end of the cylinder and the passage 100 is ignited by the spark plug 1 16 and the resultant expanding ignited gases acting upon the inner end of the piston 68 forcing the piston 68 outwardly imparts rotation to the rotor 42 as the latter is rotated from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 12 of the drawings to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 13 of the drawings. As the rotor 42 reaches the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 13, the port 100 is registered with the initial exhaust port 46 to exhaust the products of combustion from the cylinder. Thereafter, the rotor 42 is rotated to the position thereof angularly displacing the piston 68 to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 13 with the port 96 registered with the final exhaust port. As the rotor advances from the phantom line position of the piston 68 in FIG. 13 to the position of the rotor illustrated in FIG. 10, the piston 68 is displaced inwardly by the ramp or cam surface 20 and the exhaust gases remaining within the cylinder sleeve 62 are substantially fully expressed from within the cylinder sleeve 62 outwardly through the final exhaust slot 50 before the port 96 is again registered with the intake slot 44.

Thus, it may be seen that the engine 10 is capable of substantially completely exhausting all of the byproducts of combustion from within the cylinder sleeves 62 prior to intaking combustible mixtures of air and fuel into the cylinder sleeves. Also, it will be noted from FIG. 12 of the drawings that the cylinder sleeves 62 are disposed substantially normal to the departure end of the ramp or cam surface 22 during the firing stroke thereby enabling the engine 10 to produce extremely high torque. Also, it will be noted from the drawings that the ramp surfaces 20 and 22 are wholly disposed above the horizontal diameter of the chamber 14. Accordingly, the lower half of the chamber 14 may be provided with an additional set of ramp surfaces corresponding to the surfaces 20 and 22 and also the end plates 16 and 18 may be provided with additional corresponding exhaust and intake slots as well as a second spark plug aperture 52 in order that each piston 68 may enjoy two power strokes per revolution of the rotor 42. Also, it is possible that each complete set of exhaust and intake slots and spark plug ports may be formed in both of the end plates in order that the rotor and chamber may be axially lengthened so that the rotor may be provided with an additional set of cylinders and pistons, which additional set of cylinders and pistons may be circumferentially staggered relative to the cylinders and pistons illustrated in FIG. 5. In this manner, an eight cylinder engine may be provided and each of the eight cylinders may enjoy two power strokes per revolution of the shaft 40.

As the pistons move through the compression strokes side pressures will be brought to bear on the pistons 68. However, the biasing action of the springs 94 tends to offset this side pressure. In addition, inasmuch as the major points of wear on the engine will be the inner wall surfaces of the chamber 14, the latter may be sleeved. Further, the inner faces of the plates 16 and 18 may be provided with replaceable wear plates.

The cylinders defined by the sleeves 62 are slightly offset relative-to true radii of the rotor 42 and this offset of the cylinders enables the thrust of the pistons 68 during the power strokes to be disposed at substantially right angles to the departure ends of the ramp or cam surfaces 22.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An engine including a casing having a generally cylindrical cavity formed therein and opposite end wall means closing the opposite ends of said cavity, a rotor journaled in said cavity, said cavity including wall portions defining a pair of ramp surfaces extending generally along circumferentially spaced chords of said cavity with the adjacent ends of said ramp surfaces spaced about the circumference of said cavity and the midportions of said ramp surfaces spaced at least slightly radially outwardly of said rotor, at least one cylinder bore formed in said rotor generally paralleling a radius of said rotor and closed at its inner end, a piston reciprocal in said bore and including an outer roller rollingly engaged with the inner surfaces, including said ramp surfaces, of said cavity, at least one end of said rotor including at least one port means formed therethrough opening into the inner end portion of said cylinder bore, said end wall means including intake and exhaust ports formed therethrough with which said rotor port means is registrable, said exhaust port being disposed for registry with said port means when said roller is engaged with the approach end portion of one of said ramp surfaces and said intake port being disposed for registry with said port means when said roller is engaged with the departure end of said one ramp surface, said cylinder bore being spaced laterally of said radius in the direction of intended rotation of said rotor, said rotor including a guide bore closely adjacent and paralleling said cylinder bore, a tongue rigid with and projecting outwardly from the outer end of said piston to a position over the outer end of said guide bore, an elongated guide member carried by the free end of said tongue and loosely telescoped into the central portion of said guide bore, a compression spring seated in the inner end of said guide bore, disposed about said guide member and having its outer end engaged against said tongue, said guide bore being disposed to the rear of said cylinder bore relative to the direction of intended rotation of said rotor.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ramp surfaces are generally straight and extend along chords of said chamber disposed at right angles to radii of the axis of rotation of said rotor displaced substantially apart, said pair of ramp surfaces being disposed entirely on one side of a diameter of said rotor.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rotor includes at least one additional cylinder bore spaced circumferentially about said rotor from the firstmentioned bore and an attendant roller supported piston as well as further port means corresponding to the first-mentioned port means.

4. The combination of claim 1 including seal means recessed in said rotor and extending about said port means.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said end wall means also includes an additional exhaust port means formed therethrough with which said port means is registered when said roller is engaged with the departure end of the other ramp surface.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said port means opens into the inner end portion of said cylinder bore at least closely adjacent the inner end thereof.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ramp surfaces include slightly convex mid-portions.

8. The combination of claim 1 including seal means recessed in said rotor and extending about said port means, the inner surfaces of said end wall means including shallow oil grooves with which said seal means are registrable, and means for supplying lubricating oil to said grooves.

9. An engine including a casing having a generally cylindrical cavity formed therein and including opposite end wall means closing the opposite ends of said cavity, a rotor journaled in said cavity, at least one cylinder bore formed in said rotor generally paralleling a radius of said rotor and closed at its inner end, a piston reciprocal in said bore and including outer end roller means, said casing including means defining at least one pair of circumferentially spaced ramp surfaces each including approach and departure ends, said roller means being rollingly engaged with said ramp surfaces to urge said piston inwardy of said cylinder bore twice during each rotation of said rotor, said rotor and casing including alternately registrable intake and exhaust passage means for opening the inner end of said cylinder bore to a supply of combustible air and fuel mixture as said roller is moving down the departure end of one of said ramp surfaces and venting the inner end of said cylinder bore as said roller is moving upwardly along the approach end of one of said ramp surfaces, said cylinder bore being spaced laterally of said radius in the direction of intended rotation of said rotor, said rotor including a guide bore closely adjacent and paralleling said cylinder bore, a tongue rigid with and projecting outwardly from the outer end of said piston to a position over the outer end of said guide bore, an elongated guide member carried by the free end of said tongue and loosely telescoped into the central portion of said guide bore, a compression spring seated in the inner end of said guide bore, disposed about said guide member and having its outer end engaged against said tongue, said guide bore being disposed to the rear of said cylinder bore relative to the direction of intended rotation of said rotor. 

1. An engine including a casing having a generally cylindrical cavity formed therein and opposite end wall means closing the opposite ends of said cavity, a rotor journaled in said cavity, said cavity including wall portions defining a pair of ramp surfaces extending generally along circumferentially spaced chords of said cavity with the adjacent ends of said ramp surfaces spaced about the circumference of said cavity and the mid-portions of said ramp surfaces spaced at least slightly radially outwardly of said rotor, at least one cylinder bore formed in said rotor generally paralleling a radius of said rotor and closed at its inner end, a piston reciprocal in said bore and including an outer roller rollingly engaged with the inner surfaces, including said ramp surfaces, of said cavity, at least one end of said rotor including at least one port means formed therethrough opening into the inner end portion of said cylinder bore, said end wall means including intake and exhaust ports formed therethrough with which said rotor port means is registrable, said exhaust port being disposed for registry with said port means when said roller is engaged with the approach end portion of one of said ramp surfaces and said intake port being disposed for registry with said port means when said roller is engaged with the departure end of said one ramp surface, said cylinder bore being spaced laterally of said radius in the direction of intended rotation of said rotor, said rotor including a guide bore closely adjacent and paralleling said cylinder bore, a tongue rigid with and projecting outwardly from the outer end of said piston to a position over the outer end of said guide bore, an elongated guide member carried by the free end of said tongue and loosely telescoped into the central portion of said guide bore, a compression spring seated in the inner end of said guide bore, disposed about said guide member and having its outer end engaged against said tongue, said guide bore being disposed to the rear of said cylinder bore relative to the direction of intended rotation of said rotor.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ramp surfaces are generally straight and extend along chords of said chamber disposed at right angles to radii of the axis of rotation of said rotor displaced substantially 90* apart, said pair of ramp surfaces being disposed entirely on one side of a diameter of said rotor.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rotor includes at least one additional cylinder bore spaced circumferentially about said rotor from the first-mentioned bore and an attendant roller supported piston as well as further port means corresponding to the first-mentioned port means.
 4. The combination of claim 1 including seal means recessed in said rotor and extending about said port means.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said end wall means also includes an additional exhaust port means formed therethrough with which said port means is registered when said roller is engaged with the departure end of the other ramp surface.
 6. The combinatIon of claim 1 wherein said port means opens into the inner end portion of said cylinder bore at least closely adjacent the inner end thereof.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ramp surfaces include slightly convex mid-portions.
 8. The combination of claim 1 including seal means recessed in said rotor and extending about said port means, the inner surfaces of said end wall means including shallow oil grooves with which said seal means are registrable, and means for supplying lubricating oil to said grooves.
 9. An engine including a casing having a generally cylindrical cavity formed therein and including opposite end wall means closing the opposite ends of said cavity, a rotor journaled in said cavity, at least one cylinder bore formed in said rotor generally paralleling a radius of said rotor and closed at its inner end, a piston reciprocal in said bore and including outer end roller means, said casing including means defining at least one pair of circumferentially spaced ramp surfaces each including approach and departure ends, said roller means being rollingly engaged with said ramp surfaces to urge said piston inwardy of said cylinder bore twice during each rotation of said rotor, said rotor and casing including alternately registrable intake and exhaust passage means for opening the inner end of said cylinder bore to a supply of combustible air and fuel mixture as said roller is moving down the departure end of one of said ramp surfaces and venting the inner end of said cylinder bore as said roller is moving upwardly along the approach end of one of said ramp surfaces, said cylinder bore being spaced laterally of said radius in the direction of intended rotation of said rotor, said rotor including a guide bore closely adjacent and paralleling said cylinder bore, a tongue rigid with and projecting outwardly from the outer end of said piston to a position over the outer end of said guide bore, an elongated guide member carried by the free end of said tongue and loosely telescoped into the central portion of said guide bore, a compression spring seated in the inner end of said guide bore, disposed about said guide member and having its outer end engaged against said tongue, said guide bore being disposed to the rear of said cylinder bore relative to the direction of intended rotation of said rotor. 